ABSTRACT
The relationship between politics and money in France was a contradictory one with legislation theoretically insuring equality among candidates in elections, but political practices occurring almost completely outside the law. The two laws of March 11, 1988, are concerned with the presidential and legislative elections, the disclosure of the estates of elected candidates, and the subventions to the parties. The laws of January 15 and May 10, 1990, have established a general regulation for all universal suffrage elections excepting the election of senators, which takes place by indirect voting, and local elections in districts of less than 9,000 inhabitants. The main deficiency of the traditional regulation of electoral expenses is that it was applicable only during the three weeks of the official campaign preceding the election. The principle of a law on political financing was accepted by the Government and all the parties except the Communists, who were hostile to any state interference.
